‘That One’

Tuesday night’s presidential debate wasn’t the be-all end-all meeting viewers had anticipated but there were many watercooler-worthy moments. Tinged with a possible hint of frustration and superiority Sen. John McCain’s reference to Sen. Barack ObamaÂ as “that one,” emerged as one of the most talked about aspects of last nights debate.

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The Huffington Post called it ” not-so-subtle race baiting,” adding, “at one point, an African American woman was asking him about green jobs and he turned his back on her — skulking off towards his podium…”

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Moments after McCain used the phrase, Obama spokesman Bill Burton emailed reporters: “Did John McCain just refer to Obama as ‘that one’?”

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TheÂ phrase was supposed to be a part of McCain’s sarcastic rebuttal on Obama’s voting record. “There was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate — loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies,â€ McCain says. “And it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it —- you might never know? That one. You know who voted against it? Me.â€

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Within a matter of hours “that one” swept theÂ Internet with some savvy entrepreneur snapping up the domain name, www.thatone08.com, and creating a Facebook page selling t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase.Â So far the Facebook page has more than 5,000 fans.

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Nicolle Wallace, a spokesman for McCain, said in a statement, “I am shocked that at a moment of national crisis, where our economy is on the minds of every single person, I am shocked that they are again proving to be the fussiest campaign in American history.â€

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As McCain scrambles to gain ground after ceding Michigan, the phrase may have been the result of a beleaguered campaign and a grueling race.

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Readers, do you think McCain’s comment had racial over/undertones? Will this affect the presidential race? Will you be purchasing a t-shirt?